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Ruth Wilson (actress)
Encyclopedia
Ruth Wilson is an English actress, perhaps best known for her performance in the title role of Jane Eyre
.
, Surrey
and raised with three older brothers in Shepperton
, Surrey
. She attended Notre Dame School
and sixth form at Esher College
. As a teenager, Wilson worked as a model, and went on to study history at the University of Nottingham
, graduating in 2003. She graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
in July 2005. Afterwards, she co-founded Hush Productions. While at Nottingham she was also involved in student drama at New Theatre (Nottingham)
which later won an award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Student Theatre' at the National Student Drama Festival
2008. She currently lives in London.
She is a grand-daughter of the novelist and MI5 officer Alexander Wilson
.
, Wilson had only one professional screen credit, in Suburban Shootout
, a situation comedy
. Since then, Wilson has stated she is "going to better auditions. People are starting to see me, when they wouldn't have done, before—suddenly you have done a big show, and have got a bit more standing."
In 2006–7 she filmed the second series of Suburban Shootout, a new Marple
mystery for ITV
, and Stephen Poliakoff
's BBC
television drama Capturing Mary
as the young Mary.
In 2007 she appeared in Gorky's Philistines, playing Tanya, at the National
from May until August 2007—and learned to play the piano for the role. She also narrated the audio book of Lauren St John's novel "The White Giraffe". In June 2007, Wilson presented the 2007 Lilian Baylis Awards. In November 2007, she gave a radio interview on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour
Other projects in 2007 included the narration of an audio book of the children's novel Dolphin Song by Lauren St John; a guest appearance in the sitcom Freezing
as Alison Fennel (transmitted on BBC2, 21 February 2008); narration of the documentary The Polish Ambulance Murders (transmitted on BBC4, 5 February 2008); and the portrayal of a mentally ill doctor in the dramatised documentary The Doctor Who Hears Voices (transmitted on UK Channel 4, 21 April 2008), a story which follows controversial psychologist Dr Rufus May as he treats a junior doctor diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
During the winter of 2007 Wilson took six months off. She said: "I simply want to take a break and catch my breath. But I also think that, sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is to deliberately keep some time free and see what the world throws at you."
From 23 July to 3 October 2009 she appeared as Stella in the Donmar
revival of A Streetcar Named Desire
. On November 15, 2009 AMC Television
and ITV
premiered the 2009 TV miniseries
remake of The Prisoner, in which Wilson played the Village doctor, "Number 313." Starting on BBC1 on 6 December 2009, she played "Queenie" in an adaptation of Andrea Levy's
Small Island
, which also aired in the United States on PBS in 2010.
In 2010 she appeared in the UK psychological police drama Luther
as Alice Morgan, starring with Idris Elba
.
From 10 June to 31 July 2010 Wilson starred as Karin in the Almeida Theatre
production of Through a Glass Darkly
, an adaptation for the stage of Ingmar Bergman
's Oscar-winning 1961
film.
From 4 August to 8 October 2011, alongside Jude Law
, Wilson is starring in the title role of Eugene O'Neill
's Anna Christie
at the Donmar Warehouse
, a performance which prompted The Guardian
to devote an editorial
to Wilson's "courageous, edgy and compelling talent".
earned her four nominations for Best Actress awards in 2007, from the Broadcasting Press Guild
, BAFTA television awards Satellite Awards
and the 2008 Golden Globes
. She also came second in a BBC viewers' poll for Best Actress of 2006. She won the 2010 Olivier Award
for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire
at the Donmar Warehouse
.
While at LAMDA she appeared in a student production of C.P. Taylor
's Good, which transferred to the Sound Theatre for a short run in 2005.
Wilson has also appeared in the short films In The Dark and The Rounds, as characters unknown.
Jane Eyre (2006 TV serial)
Jane Eyre is a 2006 television adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character...
.
Early life and education
Wilson was born in AshfordAshford, Surrey
Ashford is a town almost entirely in the Surrey borough of Spelthorne in England, with a small part falling within Greater London. It is a suburban development situated 15 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in London and forms part of the London commuter belt...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and raised with three older brothers in Shepperton
Shepperton
Shepperton is a town in the borough of Spelthorne, Surrey, England. To the south it is bounded by the river Thames at Desborough Island and is bisected by the M3 motorway...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. She attended Notre Dame School
Notre Dame School (Surrey)
Notre Dame School is an independent Catholic girls day school located in Cobham, Surrey, England. The school includes both a preparatory school and a senior school.-History:...
and sixth form at Esher College
Esher College
Esher College is a sixth form college located in Thames Ditton, Elmbridge, U.K-Admissions:It has just under 1700 students enrolled. Esher College is very close to Thames Ditton railway station on the northern edge of Surrey...
. As a teenager, Wilson worked as a model, and went on to study history at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, graduating in 2003. She graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art is a leading British drama school in west London. LAMDA's president is Timothy West and its new principal is Joanna Read, who recently succeeded Peter James...
in July 2005. Afterwards, she co-founded Hush Productions. While at Nottingham she was also involved in student drama at New Theatre (Nottingham)
New Theatre (Nottingham)
The New Theatre is a playhouse and production company based on University Park campus, Nottingham, England. It is funded in part by the University of Nottingham Students' Union and constitutes one of the Union's 10 Student-Run Services...
which later won an award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Student Theatre' at the National Student Drama Festival
National Student Drama Festival
The National Student Drama Festival was founded in 1956 by the Sunday Times arts columnist - the festival's first artistic director - Kenneth Pearson, the Sunday Times theatre critic Harold Hobson, and NUS president Frank Copplestone. The Sunday Times Editor, H.V...
2008. She currently lives in London.
She is a grand-daughter of the novelist and MI5 officer Alexander Wilson
Alexander Wilson (writer and spy)
Alexander Wilson was an English writer who was also an officer for MI6, definitely during World War II but possibly working for Indian Political Intelligence and the Indian Intelligence Bureau as early as the late 1920s....
.
Career
Prior to her role in Jane EyreJane Eyre (2006 TV serial)
Jane Eyre is a 2006 television adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character...
, Wilson had only one professional screen credit, in Suburban Shootout
Suburban Shootout
Suburban Shootout is a British satirical black comedy television series produced for Five and Paramount Comedy by Feelgood Fiction in association with Oxygen. The first series aired in the UK on Five from 27 April 2006. It began airing in the United States on 22 March 2006 on Oxygen and in Germany...
, a situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
. Since then, Wilson has stated she is "going to better auditions. People are starting to see me, when they wouldn't have done, before—suddenly you have done a big show, and have got a bit more standing."
In 2006–7 she filmed the second series of Suburban Shootout, a new Marple
Marple (TV series)
Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple and other murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It is also known as Agatha Christie's Marple. The title character was played by Geraldine McEwan from the first to third series, until her retirement from the role. She was replaced...
mystery for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, and Stephen Poliakoff
Stephen Poliakoff
Stephen Poliakoff, CBE, FRSL is an acclaimed British playwright, director and scriptwriter, widely judged amongst Britain's foremost television dramatists.-Early life and career:...
's BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama Capturing Mary
Capturing Mary
Capturing Mary is a BBC television drama , written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. It was aired on BBC Two on 12 November 2007...
as the young Mary.
In 2007 she appeared in Gorky's Philistines, playing Tanya, at the National
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...
from May until August 2007—and learned to play the piano for the role. She also narrated the audio book of Lauren St John's novel "The White Giraffe". In June 2007, Wilson presented the 2007 Lilian Baylis Awards. In November 2007, she gave a radio interview on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour
Other projects in 2007 included the narration of an audio book of the children's novel Dolphin Song by Lauren St John; a guest appearance in the sitcom Freezing
Freezing (TV series)
Freezing is a BBC comedy series starring Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern about an otherwise successful couple in their forties who find themselves out of work...
as Alison Fennel (transmitted on BBC2, 21 February 2008); narration of the documentary The Polish Ambulance Murders (transmitted on BBC4, 5 February 2008); and the portrayal of a mentally ill doctor in the dramatised documentary The Doctor Who Hears Voices (transmitted on UK Channel 4, 21 April 2008), a story which follows controversial psychologist Dr Rufus May as he treats a junior doctor diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
During the winter of 2007 Wilson took six months off. She said: "I simply want to take a break and catch my breath. But I also think that, sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is to deliberately keep some time free and see what the world throws at you."
From 23 July to 3 October 2009 she appeared as Stella in the Donmar
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
revival of A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
. On November 15, 2009 AMC Television
AMC (TV network)
AMC is a cable television specialty channel that primarily airs movies, along with a limited amount of original programming. The letters originally stood for American Movie Classics; however since 2002, the full name has been deemphasized as a result of a major shift in programming...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
premiered the 2009 TV miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
remake of The Prisoner, in which Wilson played the Village doctor, "Number 313." Starting on BBC1 on 6 December 2009, she played "Queenie" in an adaptation of Andrea Levy's
Andrea Levy
Andrea Levy is a British author, born in London to Jamaican parents who sailed to England on the Empire Windrush in 1948.-Identity and writings:...
Small Island
Small Island (television drama)
Small Island is a two-part 2009 BBC One television drama adapted from the 2004 novel of the same title by Andrea Levy. The programme stars Naomie Harris and Ruth Wilson as joint respective female protagonists Hortense Roberts and Queenie Bligh, two women who struggle to fulfil their personal...
, which also aired in the United States on PBS in 2010.
In 2010 she appeared in the UK psychological police drama Luther
Luther (TV series)
Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC One from 4 May to 8 June 2010. The second series of four episodes was shown on BBC One in summer 2011...
as Alice Morgan, starring with Idris Elba
Idris Elba
Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba is a British television, theatre, and film actor. He has starred in both British and American productions. Elba grew up in Canning Town, East London. One of his first acting roles was in the soap opera Family Affairs. He has worked in a variety of TV roles including ...
.
From 10 June to 31 July 2010 Wilson starred as Karin in the Almeida Theatre
Almeida Theatre
The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
production of Through a Glass Darkly
Through a Glass Darkly (film)
Through a Glass Darkly is a 1961 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and produced by Allan Ekelund. The film is a three-act "chamber film", in which four family members act as mirrors for each other. It is the first of many Bergman films to be shot on the island of Fårö...
, an adaptation for the stage of Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
's Oscar-winning 1961
34th Academy Awards
The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope; this was the seventh time Hope hosted the Oscars...
film.
From 4 August to 8 October 2011, alongside Jude Law
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
, Wilson is starring in the title role of Eugene O'Neill
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into American drama techniques of realism earlier associated with Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, and Swedish...
's Anna Christie
Anna Christie
Anna Christie is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his work.-Plot summary:...
at the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
, a performance which prompted The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
to devote an editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
to Wilson's "courageous, edgy and compelling talent".
Awards and nominations
Wilson's performance in Jane EyreJane Eyre (2006 TV serial)
Jane Eyre is a 2006 television adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character...
earned her four nominations for Best Actress awards in 2007, from the Broadcasting Press Guild
Broadcasting Press Guild
The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally....
, BAFTA television awards Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama...
and the 2008 Golden Globes
65th Golden Globe Awards
The 65th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2007, were scheduled to be presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on January 13, 2008...
. She also came second in a BBC viewers' poll for Best Actress of 2006. She won the 2010 Olivier Award
2010 Laurence Olivier Awards
The 2010 Olivier Awards were held on 21 March 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.-Award winners and nominees:*Best Actress**Rachel Weisz, A Streetcar Named Desire - Donmar Warehouse**Gillian Anderson, A Doll's House - Donmar Warehouse...
for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire (play)
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was...
at the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical...
.
Selected credits
| Year | Format | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Television series | Suburban Shootout Suburban Shootout Suburban Shootout is a British satirical black comedy television series produced for Five and Paramount Comedy by Feelgood Fiction in association with Oxygen. The first series aired in the UK on Five from 27 April 2006. It began airing in the United States on 22 March 2006 on Oxygen and in Germany... |
Jewel Diamond | |
| 2006 | Television miniseries | Jane Eyre Jane Eyre (2006 TV serial) Jane Eyre is a 2006 television adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character... |
Jane Eyre | Nominated for a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, Best Actress in a Series, Mini Series or TV Movie |
| 2007 | Stage | Philistines | Tanya | Lyttelton Theatre, RNT Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company... |
| 2007 | Television film | Marple: Nemesis | Georgina Barrow | |
| 2007 | Television film | Capturing Mary Capturing Mary Capturing Mary is a BBC television drama , written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff. It was aired on BBC Two on 12 November 2007... |
Young Mary | |
| 2007 | Television film | A Real Summer | Mary/Geraldine | |
| 2008 | Television film | The Doctor Who Hears Voices | Ruth | |
| 2008 | Television series | Freezing Freezing (TV series) Freezing is a BBC comedy series starring Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern about an otherwise successful couple in their forties who find themselves out of work... |
Alison Fennel | |
| 2008 | Radio drama | The Mayor of Casterbridge The Mayor of Casterbridge The Mayor of Casterbridge , subtitled "The Life and Death of a Man of Character", is a tragic novel by British author Thomas Hardy. It is set in the fictional town of Casterbridge . The book is one of Hardy's Wessex novels, all set in a fictional rustic England... |
Elizabeth-Janes | |
| 2009 | Radio drama | The Promise | BBC Radio 3 | |
| 2009 | Stage | A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire (play) A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1947 play written by American playwright Tennessee Williams for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1948. The play opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947, and closed on December 17, 1949, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The Broadway production was... |
Stella | Donmar Warehouse Donmar Warehouse Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical... , London |
| 2009 | Television series | Small Island Small Island (television drama) Small Island is a two-part 2009 BBC One television drama adapted from the 2004 novel of the same title by Andrea Levy. The programme stars Naomie Harris and Ruth Wilson as joint respective female protagonists Hortense Roberts and Queenie Bligh, two women who struggle to fulfil their personal... |
Queenie | Autumn 2009 |
| 2009 | Television series | The Prisoner | 313/Sara | November 2009 |
| 2010 - | Television series | Luther Luther (TV series) Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC One from 4 May to 8 June 2010. The second series of four episodes was shown on BBC One in summer 2011... |
Alice Morgan | |
| 2010 | Stage | Through a Glass Darkly Through a Glass Darkly (film) Through a Glass Darkly is a 1961 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and produced by Allan Ekelund. The film is a three-act "chamber film", in which four family members act as mirrors for each other. It is the first of many Bergman films to be shot on the island of Fårö... |
Karin | Almeida Theatre Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of... adaptation of the Ingmar Bergman Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and... film |
| 2011 | Stage | Anna Christie Anna Christie Anna Christie is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. It made its Broadway debut at the Vanderbilt Theatre on November 2, 1921. O'Neill received the 1922 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his work.-Plot summary:... |
Anna Christie | Donmar Warehouse Donmar Warehouse Donmar Warehouse is a small not-for-profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of London, with a capacity of 251.-About:Under the artistic leadership of Michael Grandage, the theatre has presented some of London’s most memorable award-winning theatrical experiences, as well as garnered critical... , London |
While at LAMDA she appeared in a student production of C.P. Taylor
Cecil Philip Taylor
Cecil Philip Taylor , usually credited as C. P. Taylor, was a British playwright. He wrote almost 80 plays during his 16 years as a professional playwright, including several for radio and television. He also made a number of documentary programmes for the BBC...
's Good, which transferred to the Sound Theatre for a short run in 2005.
Wilson has also appeared in the short films In The Dark and The Rounds, as characters unknown.
External links
- Jane Eyre – Articles & Interviews
- Ruth Wilson interview in The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...